36/9 . There is an inexplicable calm about this score. Four days later (at the time of writing), and with another three to go before the B...
36/9. There is an inexplicable calm about this score.
Four days later (at the time of writing), and with another three to go before the Boxing Day Test, there is still a sense of shock about the whole thing. It wasn’t a nightmare, for it did happen, and yet, there is no escaping the harsh truth.
Let’s blame it on the year 2020. After all, you cannot blame the Indian batsmen, not to a great degree. Look at it whichever way you want, that was some unplayable bowling from Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Every delivery was on the money, each ball doing just what the bowler intended, no plays and misses, just edges; no drops, just catches – that session of play was a cricketing aberration.
In sport, as in life, the simplest explanation is the most logical one. And thus, it is also perhaps the most easily acceptable justification for that collapse. The obvious question to ask is, who’s going to galvanise team India and bring them back from this abyss?
Ravi Shastri has to be the obvious answer, especially in Virat Kohli’s absence. Ask about that collapse, and he will probably say “Sh*t happens!” in his inimitable style. Then, he will march straight on and get down to business...
